On Wednesday, December, 23rd, at the Ukrainski Novyny press agency, Civil Network OPORA publicized its second report (for December) on results of the first stage of all-Ukrainian domestic observation campaign at the 2010 Presidential Elections in Ukraine.
At the press-conference, spokespersons referred to information, collected by 74 independent long-term observers, who monitor pre-election process in 225 districts. Due to this, conclusions and examples, included into the report are based on the real facts form all the regions of Ukraine.
English version of the report can be downloaded here: REPORT
Report main thesis:
Formation of Polling Stations and Precinct Election Commissions
In this election campaign, the creation of Precinct Election Commissions (PECs) has been accompanied by violations of the existing election legislation. Almost 10% of local authorities made their nominations in the last days before the deadline, which made it difficult for District Election Commissions to verify accuracy of the data provided (the number of voters, their addresses, and boundaries of polling stations). There are some cases when polling stations were created after the deadline expired.
The major Presidential candidates prepared and submitted their nominations for DEC members on time.
Work of the Central Election Commission
The topic of the day is under-financing of the election process. As of December 18, only 0.6% of the required 50 mln 377 900 Hryvnia were allocated for the election process. The situation is getting worse because on December 31, with the end of a fiscal year, the current State budget expenditures will become inoperative. OPORA is also concerned about the uncertainty in the legal process of voting at foreign polling stations of those voters at the Consulate offices.
Work of District Election Commissions (technical and financial support, and level of training of DEC members)
The District Election Commissions (DEC) work according to the calendar plan of election preparation approved by the CEC and election legislation. Additionally, there are a number of problems that hamper effective work of the commissioners: lack of technical and financial support, low level of legal education and little motivation to work, 90% of district commissioners being inactive during discussion and decision-making, formal approach to personnel selection by candidate headquarters.
The Use of Administrative Resource, Voter Bribery and Intimidation
Those Presidential candidates, who have supporters among local officials, business leaders and university professors, actively use administrative resources to their advantage. The scale of its usage is quite low compared to the previous presidential campaigns. However, voter pressure, intimidation, and bribery are disgraceful phenomena in our society, which requires public condemnation and prosecution of the guilty. In the meantime, central headquarters of the candidates give private instructions to local officials to ensure the required results “at any cost”.
Media’s Participation
The role of TV and radio media in the election campaigns of candidates is outstanding. The shortened time frames of the election period, the long quarantine and political indifference of citizens during New Year and Christmas holidays is the reason for headquarters to actively invest into campaigning through traditional media channels. The prevailing majority of municipal and private regional media outlets provide advertising space and time on a paid basis, as well as air time for campaign events. Media are oriented towards maximizing their profits for placement of candidate’s campaigning materials and that ensures an equal access of candidates to media outlets. OPORA is concerned with the practice of some newspaper and online journalists who are paid by candidates for positive coverage and their reports are not marked as ‘advertising.’
Candidates’ Campaigning
During the reporting period, the pre-election campaigning of presidential candidates was remarkable for the switch from indirect voter outreach to establishing direct voter contacts. The two major candidates, namely Ms. Tymoshenko and Mr. Yanukovych, actively employ direct campaigning tools such as “door-to-door campaign” (DDC).
Performance of the Voter Registry Departments
According to OPORA’s observers, Voter Registry Department work satisfactory. Departments, which are overloaded with work on register verification, and suffer from the lack of material and technical supply have to extend their working hours, somewhere - till 12 p.m. however, departments’ workers need extra trainings in election legislation. Observers’ remarks mainly concern poor knowledge of current laws on access to information. Sometimes, departments staff refuse to provide data about the number of appeals as, to their mind, that is a case of personal data disclosure.
PRESENTATION: Examples of pre-election agitation